Game.



No. 723,378. PATENTED MAR. 24, 1903.

C. W. FULLER. v

GAME.

APPLfOATION FILED MAY 9, 1901.

F0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Wit esszs 19x74; im-S k 624127268 d7l2 @r W 1 7 No. 723,378. PATENTED MAR. 24, 1903.

O. W. FULLER. GAME.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9. 19 1- no MODEL; 2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

is C q,

q\yt. 4 6

W'flgesses I 19$mfi0m 7E/K M Caz/272a; 4d warn,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE W. FULLER, OF WALTON, NEW YORK.

GAME.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 723,378 dated March 24, 1903.

Application filed May 9,1901- Serial No. 59,427. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LBOLARENOE W. FULLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at WValton, in the county of Delaware and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Games; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,cle ar, and exact description'of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invent-ionrelates to certain improvements in games.

It furnishes entertainment of a recreative and amusing character.

It consists,generally stated,of certain novel features of construction, including their combination and arrangement, substantially as hereinafter more fully disclosed,and specifically pointed out by the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is aplan view. Fig. 2 is a vertical section. Fig.3 is an enlarged detailed perspec- .tive View with the parts separated, more particularly of a rim-corner. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the same parts joined, viewing the same from the opposite side. Fig. 5 is a broken detailed view, partly in section, of the bottom or table at one corner. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed view showing more especially one of the pegs. Fig. 7 is a similar view disclosing more particularly the counter.

Latitude is allowed herein as to details, as they may be changed or varied at will without departing from the spirit of my invention and the same yet remain intact and be protected.

In carrying out my invention I provide a preferably cloth-covered board or bottom 1, to

which are applied a rim or flange '2, spanning or extending along and above or below the. straight edges thereof, and corner or arcuate pieces or sections 2, forming continuations of said rim or flange. To the straight portion 2 of said rim is attached upon its inner side a cushion 3, either of felt or rubber, preferably the latter, with a slightly inclined or slanting surface or face to receive the impact of the striking ball or balls and to impart thereto the required rebound to prevent their deflection or displacement from the board in playing the game. The cushions of rubber may be covered with either cloth or felt, if desired. To efiect such attachment of said cushion, the rim portion or flange 2 is provided with a groove or channel 2'" near its upper edge in the inner surface or side, and into said groove is inserted said cushion, it previous to insertion being compressed by the grasp of the hand and letinto the groove, the expansion or elasticity of said cushion firmly securing it in place therein. Said corner-pieces receive at their ends dowel-like pins or projections 2 projecting from the abutting edges of the rim or flange 2 and engaging sockets or holes 2 produced in said corner-pieces, to aid assembling and connecting said parts together.

Upon the upper edge of each corner piece or section 2 is suitably secured a plate or strip of wood or metal 2 preferably the latter, with an inner slightly overhanging or projecting edge to conveniently provide for the application or securing to the inner surfaces of said corner portions or sections of pieces of felt or other non-elastic material 2 to neutralize or ofiset the force of a strikingball or balls, overcoming the otherwise rebounding action thereof and allowing the same to drop into the pockets at those points, presently described. The plates or strips 2 project and overlap at their ends upon top or upper surface reduced portions 2 of the rim or flange 2, with oblique or diagonal meeting edges therebetween.

The board or table 1 has in its corner edges or angles and of course opposite the corner pieces or sections 2 pockets 5, into which the balls drop or are received as they strike said cornerpieces, as above intimated. These pockets, preferably of netting of suitable character, are secured or connected at their upper edges to the corner-pieces 2 and to the table or board 1. Each pocket is secured or confined in a lower rabbeted or gained edge 6 of each corner-piece and preferably in a concaved groove or recess 6 in the central veneer of a series of which, 1, the bottom or board 1 is preferably composed. Said board orbottom is cut away at these points to form, preferably, semicircular recesses 6 through which the balls pass or drop in entering said pockets. The confining of those portions of said pockets contained in the concaved reeesses or grooves 6 is elfected, preferably, by suitably engaging or pressing thereupon a stout wire 7, curved or arched to conform to the arc of'said grooves or recesses and carrying therewith andinto said grooves or recesses said pocket upper edge portions, said wire having its terminals preferably passed through staples 8, driven into the edge of said bottom, or said wire may be looped at its terminals around fastenings-such as tacks, &c.driven into said board. The rim or flange 2 has also its straight or right-lined portions gained or rabbeted, as at 9, in their inner lower edges in continuation of the corresponding rabbeted edges of the corner-pieces to receive the edges of the bottom or board and permit the ready or convenient securing of said rim or flange thereto. Said bottom or board has arranged thereon series of readilyremovable pegs or pins, preferably, as shown, of a height equal the thickness or diameter of the playing-balls presently described, one peg or pin 10 being disposed at the edge of each pocket recess or opening and about centrally of the arc thereof and the rest distributed or disposed in a group of, say, four at the center of the board, as at 10, and in spaced-apart pairs in radial lines, as at 10, with relation to the pockets and the first-referred-to pins or pegs and said group of pins or pegs 10 each pair and said group forming what for convenience herein may be termed wickets. Each peg or pin is preferably constituted of a headed spring-metal pin proper, 10, preferably snugly or tightly fitted or inserted into a metal socket or bushing 10, secured in the board, and of a rubber or felt sleeve or cushion 10, tightly or closely fitting said pin, the head of the last named overhanging said sleeve or cushion preventing any possible upwarddisplacementthereot'. Itisobviousthat screw-th readed connection may be effected between the pin or peg and the socket or bushing, if desired, or the pin secured directly in the board. The rubber-sleeved spring-metal pins or pegs thus described provide for cushioning the action of the playing-balls as they strike the same, as will be readily appreciated. As indicated at 11, I produce upon the board spots, Where are suitably grouped the playing-balls, appropriated in the playing of the game tothe series and group of wickets,

as presently seen. Also thereon are additional spots 11*, hereinafter more fully referred to.

Upon the outer side or surface of the rim or flange 2 may be suitably supported, preferably upon an end-bent wire or keeper 12, with its ends driven thereinto, counters 13in the form of disks, preferably of Wood, to aid in tallying the game, as will be readily understood.

In playing the game a number of persons may singly, or several evenly on each side, engage. Thirteen balls are employed in playing the game, twelve being numbered in consecutive order from one upward, the numbored balls being arranged in groups of, say, three at each spot 11, while the odd or finger ball is placed at any one of the spots 11 theinitial player may select to play from, it being struck by the finger or mallet or cue in the hand of the player and is subsequently hit always from the place it may stop upon theboard. The ultimate aim is of course to deliver the numbered balls into the pocket 5 or put the same through one of the wickets or cages. To effect that end, the players or player firing or striking the finger-ball from the selected spot 11 aims first to propel his ball against the farthest group of balls at 11, the propelling any one of which into a pocket 5 counting whateveritis numbered.

If any one of the nearer groups of balls be hit at the outset or beginning of the game, the player forfeits his turn. In event of effecting the passage of the numbered ball between a pair of pins or pegs 10, constituting a wicket, the count or tally is doubled, or between the pegs or pins 10 at the center of the board it is triplicated. If the ball is propelled either between any of the radial lines or pairs of pegs or pins 1O or between the central group of pins or pegs 1O into a pocket, the score is triplicated or quadruplicated, respectively, as the case may be. In event, or whenever the finger-ball goes into a pocket, a discount of five for each such occurrence is scored against the player, also forfeits shot, although all-the points made by the player at the time count (scored) in his favor. Whenever the finger-ball drops or goes into a pocket, it is returned to a spot 11, as at the outset, and may be shot from there in any direction. The game may be played until seventy-five counts are made or recorded by the player by moving the disks or counters 13, above noted, each having a unit value of one, the party making that number being deemed thewinner,orthirtyeounts maybe the aggregate number to be played and the exact ultimate score be made. In effecting a greater score than the ultimate count to be made the player is required to play the game over..

Any player can continue to play as long as he makes a score. A highly entertaining and recreative game is thus provided. Also by the use of the removable pegs it will be observed that the game may be varied materially, as by removing thepegs at the edge or before the pockets or removing the central four pins or pegs, forming wickets, as before stated, or removing one peg of each wicket, leaving the central cage of pins or pegs intact and one p'eg of each wicket, the game can be played with the view of putting all of the balls directly in the pockets. Also by removing said pegs or pins the apparatus can be adapted to play the regular game of pool or any of the variations of that game. Of course the board or bottom can be equipped to be supported rotatably or otherwise upon a suitable support or stand, or it may be circular as well as rectangular.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a game apparatus of the character described, aboard or bottom having a rim or flange comprising right-lined or straight sections and curved or arcuate corner-sections with end-extended top strip or plate portions of said corner-sections, substantially as set forth.

3. In a game apparatus of the character described, a board or bottom having a rim or flange comprising right-lined or straight sections, curved or arcual corner-sections, with end-extended top strip or plate portions overlapping reduced upper edge portions of said straight-lined sections, with diagonal, meeting edges, said board also having pockets at its corners, pegs at the edges of said pockets, a central group of pegs or pins, groups or pairs of pins or pegs arranged intermediately of said central group of pins and pockets, indicia or designated points thereon in alinement with said groups of pins for the location of numbered balls, and like indicia or designated points in alinement with said indicia for the playing or finger ball, snbstantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE W. FULLER. Witnesses:

TIMOTHY SANDERSON, CHAs. B. BASSETT. 

